Cost of texting is rising, but there are free alternatives

Remember the days when text messages were $.10 each? Or even $.15? Now T-Mobile joins AT&T, Verizon and Sprint in charging $.20 per text, reports Engadget and Poynter. This fee applies to users who don’t have a texting plan or who go over their monthly allotment of texts.

But there are free alternatives to texting, which I discovered a few months ago. Here’s a recap from my earlier blog post.

Call me a late adopter, but I just discovered a free alternative to texting, something I am doing a lot more of now that I have an iPhone. I was facing a much higher texting bill – going from 200 texts a month ($5) to 1,500 a month ($15) – when a friend told me about Google Talk.

Now I’m not worried about buying more texts or going over my allotment. And this deal is not just for iPhones.

Smart phones like the iPhone and Blackberry have free instant messaging as part of their data plan. There is also AIM from AOL and Yahoo! Messenger. Instant messaging is about as close to texting as you can get without paying for it.

For iPhones and other smart phones, I recommend downloading Google Talk on your phone. If you have a BlackBerry and want to chat free with other Blackberry’s, use Blackberry Messenger, which is part of the phone’s operating system if you have a data plan. The Pearl, 8800, and Curve models support Blackberry Messenger.

Now you can instant message your heart out, and not worrying about the cost of texting.

Another FREE method to SMS or text message is through Twitter. THere are applications for any Windows Mobile enabled phone as well as the Blackberry and Iphone and probably the gphone too. Only downfall is you can only communicate directly (direct message) with individuals that have followed you. However it is still a great free tool

Although very good advice, this does not really help me ’cause I do not have a smartphone. But I am fortunately NOT paying 20c per text either. I use a prepaid phone from Tracfone on the Straight Talk plan which gives 1000 minutes and 1000 texts for $30. So it works out to 2c a minute and 1c a text. Plus, there are no contract and hidden costs on a bill to worry about.